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Hanoi vs Sihanoukville cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ฐ๐ญ Sihanoukville
At a glance
- Where Sihanoukville is clearly cheaper: Massage (30%โ), SIM card (28%โ), Half-day tour (19%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Transit (80%โ), Entry ticket (47%โ), Convenience store (43%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Sihanoukville 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Sihanoukville | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | $ 3.5$3.5 | Hanoi โ24% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | $ 2$2 | Hanoi โ5% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | $ 10$10 | Sihanoukville โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Hanoi โ32% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Hanoi โ37% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | $ 4$4 | Sihanoukville โ12% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | $ 0.5$0.5 | Hanoi โ39% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | $ 0.8$0.8 | Hanoi โ43% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | $ 3$3 | Hanoi โ5% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Hanoi โ37% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Hanoi โ80% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | $ 6$6 | Hanoi โ5% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | $ 41$41 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | $ 300$300 | Sihanoukville โ17% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Hanoi โ24% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | $ 6$6 | Sihanoukville โ28% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | $ 4$4 | Hanoi โ24% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | $ 8$8 | Sihanoukville โ30% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | $ 20$20 | Sihanoukville โ19% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | $ 5$5 | Hanoi โ47% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Hanoi or Sihanoukville?
Hanoi is 12% cheaper than Sihanoukville. Daily budget $61.4 vs $75.1; a month $1,277 vs $1,333.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Sihanoukville?
About the same: Hanoi 3.2/5, Sihanoukville 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Sihanoukville?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Sihanoukville about $1,333 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.